Biochemistry | BS

A Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry is an excellent foundation for advanced studies and a career in scientific research or teaching. This major is for students who are fascinated by how life works at a molecular level and who want to make a contribution to human understanding by directing ground-breaking research in industry or academia.

Learn

Biochemistry majors learn how to think about the complexity of life in chemical terms, and how to apply scientific thinking and analytical skills to solve fundamental problems. This major includes a rigorous training in mathematics, physics, and chemistry, and graduates of this program are ready for the challenges of graduate school or a career in industrial, environmental, or health-related research.

Opportunities

In addition to taking both lecture and hands-on laboratory courses, Biochemistry majors are expected to participate in individual mentored research with a faculty member. Involvement in undergraduate research allows the student to begin contributing to the body of scientific knowledge, and typically includes opportunities to present research findings both to other EMU students as well as at regional or national conferences. It is also the best preparation for a career in research, and about half of all EMU biochemistry majors choose to gain additional knowledge by accepting a full-ride scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry, environmental sciences, biochemistry, toxicology, medicinal chemistry, chemical engineering, or materials science.

Minor Requirement:

This major does not require a minor.

Program Total:

Students must earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level or above.

Critical Graduation Information

The following are minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult the on-line catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

Earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level and above. Courses with numbers below 100 will not be counted toward this degree requirement. At most 8 credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses will be counted toward this requirement.

Earn a minimum of 60 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement. (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details.)

Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.

Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.

Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor; students should check requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required.

Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits in excess of the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 124 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.

Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.

Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor

Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.

Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor

Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; the internal review of such courses is conducted by individual departments/schools within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credits for transferred courses; grades are not used in the calculation of an EMU GPA.

Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU in order to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses taken at EMU and those applied to a student’s major or minor will be used in the calculation of their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)

General Education Requirements EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or with similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available in the General Education section of the catalog.

Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.